Centrifugal atomizer



Apr-i135 1924- I r c. F. PAUL, JR

CENTRIFUGAL- ATOMI ZER Filed June 15 1921 Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN F. PAUL. JR.. OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB T0 ERNEST NALLE, W. P. ALLEN, AND ED. ROSENGREN. TRUSTEES, ALL OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

CENTRIFUGAL ATOMIZER.

Application filed June 15, 1921. Serial N0. 477,859.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it; known that I, Crnus'rnu F. PAUL,-

Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Austin, county of Travis, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Atomizers. of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for finely dividing or atomizing liquids. and relates more particularly to apparatus for atomizingan oil containing volatile constituents and simultaneously mixing the oil particles with steam at suitable temperature, to vaporize one or more of the volatile constituents. The invention operates on the centrifugal principle, the oil in the form of a thin disk-like sheet being projected through or into a current of steam and upon an annular surface, whereby the sheet of oil is broken up into minute particles which are at the same time subjected to the heat of the steam. The resulting vapor or vapors thus produced are carried along with the current. of steam to a condenser or series of condensers.

In its preferred form the invention comprises a head mounted to revolve on a vertical axis and composed of'two or more superposed disks providing between them one or more thin disk-like passages. The oil to be atomized is delivered to the center of the head and thence to the passages mentioned, through which it'is driven outward by centrifugal force and is discharged at high velocity in the form of thin sheets.

' These immediately impinge upon a series of upwardly inclined walls arranged one inside the other, and are broken up or atomized by the impact into the form of an upwardly and outwardly expanding cloud of fine spray. At the same time currents of steam are flowing upwardly between the walls described, thus causing the atomiza-- tion to take place in the steam, with the re suit that the individual particles of oil are subjected to volatiliz'ing' heat at the instant of their formation. Preferably the atomizing head is revolved by a steam turbine, direct-connected, and the exhaust of the turbine 'is utilized, with or without additional steam, to provide the desired steam currents in which the atomization occurs.

The embodiment outlined above is illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the apparatus partly in vertical central section and partly in side elevation. view on a vertical radial plane through one of the slots 20. p

The atomizing head comprises a hollow carrier 10, provided with a radial flange 11 on which rests a wide collar 12. Above the latter is a series of disks 13, 14, 15, 16, firmly held by a nut 17 threaded on the upper end of the carrier. Disks 13, 14 and 15 are of successively less diameter and around the upper edges of their central openings they are provided with rabbets forming, in conjunction with superposed disks, circular passages 18. Disks 14, 15 and 16 are termed on their undersides with annular such that the outer edges of the disks will be brought. close together, having narrow spaces between them as the outlets of the passages 19. 1

The wall of the hollow carrier 10 is provided with a plurality of vertical slots 20, extending from the bottom upwardly to or beyond the uppermost. passage 18.

Around the disks is an upwardly conveying series of nested battle rings 21, 22. 23. curved outwardly and upwardly, and arranged in the paths of the sheets of oil discharged from the passages 19. The lowestring, 21. is supported on the upper edge of the wall of chamber 24, rising from the easing 25. The other rings are each supported by outwardly projecting lugs, 26, which rest on the upper edge of the ring next be low. Being of successively smaller diameter the rings are spaced apart upwardly and inwardly, to form outwardly and upwardly curved annular passages between the-aL as shown. They are also spaced from the atomizing disks 13, 14, 15, 16, which revolve inside of them.

The lower portion of the carrier 10 is formed with a tapered, downwardly open Fig. 2'is a fragmentary sectional socket fitted tightly (but removably)-on the correspondingly tapered upper end of a V9.1- tical driving shaft 27, mounted in bearings 28, 29, and resting on a ball thrust bearing 30. The latter is adjustable vertically by means of the screw plug 31 to locate the passages 19, between the atomizing disks, in proper relation the atomizing rings 21, 22, 28, so that the oil will be discharged into the passages or spaces between the rings.

The shaft 27 is driven at high speed by a single-stage steam turbine housed in the casing 25. the rotor of which, indicated at 32, is mounted directly on the shaft. The steam inlet is indicated at 33. Steam turbines being well understood in construction and operation, further illustration and description is unnecessary.

The exhaust of the turbine passes into chamber 24 through a series of openings 34 in the bottom of the same, and additional steam may be admitted throu h an inlet 35 if necessary or desirable. therwise the inlet can be closed by a suitable cap, not shown.

The oil to be atomized and vaporized is delivered into'the center of the carrier 10,

which, with the atomizing disks, is revolving at high speed, say at 10000 R. P. M.

Passing through the slots 20 the oil enters the passages 19 and, spreading out into thin sheets as sheets of relatively coarse spray issues at high velocity from the annular orifices at the edges of the disks and impinges upon the upwardly and outwardly curved rings 21, 22, 23, the force of the impact breaking up the oil into minute drops or particles. The steam in chamber 24, having no other escape, passes up into the rings, and at the same time the high velocity of the oil discharged from the disks entrains the steam into the spaces between the rings and into the upper ring, so that the drops of oilspi'ay from the passages 19 are enveloped in live steam when they strike the atomizing rings and are broken up. The oil vapors thus produced, together with the steam and particles or drops of unvolatilized oil,- emer e from therings in the. form of an upwa'rdIy and outwardly expanding current and are led away to the condensers by a conduit, not shown; it beingunderstoodthatthe conduit is connected to. the atomizer in a suitable manner, as for example by connection with a chamber, not shown, in which one or more atomizers are enclosed.

It is to be understood that the invention-is not limited to the construction herein specifically illustrated and described but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit.

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combination, a rotatable head having spaced rotatin g surfaces providing between them a radially extending outwardly open passage, an atomizing ring in the path of the liquid discharged from said passage, means for delivering liquid to the passage inside of the head, and means for rotating the head.

2. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combination, a rotatable head having spaced rotating surfaces providing between them a radially extending ontwardly open passage, an atomizing ring in the path of the liquid discharged from said passage, means for delivering steam into said path, means for supplying liquid to'the passage inside of the head, and means for rotating the head.

3. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combina tion, a rotatable head comprising a plurality of co-axial disks shaped to provide between them a plurality of annular passages open inside of the head to receive liquid and open outwardly to discharge liquid in thin sheets, a plurality of spaced baffle rings in the paths of the liquid discharged from said passages, to receive such liquid and cause the same to break up into a fine spray, means for supplying liquid to the passages inside of the head, and means for rotating the head.

4. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combina tion, a head rotatable on a vertical axis and having a plurality of spaced rotating surfaces providing between them a plurality of coaxial annular passages adapted to receive liquid at their centers and discharge the same outwardly, bafilev means in the paths of the liquid discharged from said passages to receive the-liquid and cause the same to break up into a fine spray, means for delivering steam into the paths of the liquid adjacent to the said baflie means whereby the liquid is enveloped in steam when it is broken up, and means for rotating the head.

5. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combination, a rotatable head having an annular passage adapted to receive liquid inside the head and discharge it at the periphery of the head. an annular wall in the path of the liquid discharged from the said passage, a steam turbine associated with the head to rotate the same, and means for discharging the exhaust steam of the turbine in the path of the liquid between said passage and said wall, whereby the liquid impinging upon the wall is enveloped in steam.

6. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combination, a rotatable head provided with a plupality of co-ax'ial annular passages having annular inlet orifices inside of the head and annular discharge orifices at the periphery of the head, a plurality of outwardly curved baflie rings around the head and spaced apart from each other and from said head, said rings providing annular passages between them and around the head, and said rings being in the paths of the liquid discharged from said passages, means for supplying steam to the passages between the head andrings, and means for rotating the head. v

7. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combination, a head rotatable on a vertical axis and provided with an annular passage from the radially outward flow of liquid, a ring encircling the head and spaced therefrom, and arranged to be struck by the liquid discharged from said passage, a chamber below the head and having a wall supporting said ring, and means for supplying steam to said chamber for outflow through the space between thering and the head.

8. In a centrifugal atomizer, in combination, a head rotatable on a vertical axis and provided with an annular passage having an annular inlet orifice inside of the head and an annular orifice at the periphery of the head, a bafile ring encircling the said outlet orifice but spaced therefrom to receive liquid discharged from the orifice and to provide a passage between the head and the ring, means for delivering steam to the passage between the head and the baffle ring whereby liquid impinging upon the latter is enveloped in steam, and means for rotating the head.

9. In a centrifugal atomizer, 1n combina- 'tion, a head rotatable on a vertical axis and steam turbine connectedwith said head to rotate the same, and means for discharging between said rings and head the exhaust steam from the turbine.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

O RIsTIANF. PAUL, JR. 

